It's simple, really. The Commission has established a committee system for rules changes — much like the legislature or county governing bodies. The net effect is that three members of key committees effectively set policy for the whole eight-member commission.

Nelson, a former member and chairman of the Commission, has been an outspoken critic of the practice and has named Craig Campbell, Emon Mahony and Rick Watkins as effective Game and Fish czars.

A side note: It's been interesting to me that reporting on this issue has delved hardly at all into the fact that it is the latest iteration of one of the most momentous political feuds in Arkansas history. Sheffield Nelson was a protege of financial baron Witt Stephens, but they split over Nelson's running of Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company. The split has been evident in all manner of political controversies, notably the Sheffield Nelson-Tommy Robinson race for the gubernatorial nomination in 1990. Campbell is Witt Stephens' son-in-law. Emon Mahony, it happens, once ran a gas company owned by the Stephens family. What goes around keeps coming around.

Don Eilbott is representing Nelson. Does a committee system so limit the power of some commissioners that it is unconstitutional? Interesting theory.

Democrat Josh Mahony challenges Thrid District Rep. Steve Womack to a series of debates beforre their November general election contest.

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The State Police say Brett McCullough, 52, of Hot Springs, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding a bicycle about 8:47 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 70 West (Airport Road) in Hot Springs.

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Bart Virden of Morrilton, who narrowly survived attack ads by an outside partisan group supporting his opponent for re-election to a nonpartisan seat, doesn't intend to let the matter drop.

Enjoy these photos from today's dedication and re-installation of a new Ten Commandments monument. The first iteration of the monument was installed last June but destroyed within the next 24 hours when it was rammed by a man in a Dodge Dart.